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Cooking Basics: Basil Pesto

This is an important recipe to have memorized. If you know the basic formula, you can make a pesto with just about any green/oil/nut/hard cheese. It’s a great way to dress up a simple pasta salad, a plain filet of fish, or even boiled potatoes for a spin on potato salad. When it’s a pasta-only kinda day around here, pesto somehow makes me feel better about not trying harder to dish out variety. I think, “At least Olive is eating something green and different on top of her pasta.” While that may be the dinner equivalent to justifying nutella as a “healthy” snack, I’m sticking with calling pesto healthy. In moderation. The stuff is mostly olive oil. But I think if it’s used as a garnish, it’s just fine and a little goes a long way, anyway!

Put everything except the oil in a food processor and turn it on. While it’s whirring around, gradually drizzle in the olive oil through the open chute of the processor lid. Let it process for about 30 seconds and then open and taste for salt and pepper. I end up putting about a teaspoon of kosher salt and a few grinds of fresh cracked pepper to mine. Pesto will keep on the counter for about a week or in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. The top of the pesto will turn brown, but it can simply be scraped off before use. Pressing a sheet of plastic wrap on its surface helps with the oxidization, too.